Monday, May 28, 2012

Brian’s Reflection: Monday, May 28, 2012

Not to need illusion -

to dare to see and say how things
really are -

is the emancipation I would like to
attain.

May Swenson,
poet; she was born on this date,

at Logan, Utah, in 1913

May Swenson, the first of ten
children, rejected the Mormonism of her immigrant Swedish family and escaped
from Utah in her early twenties. She knew, probably, that otherwise she would
never be able to live her life as a lesbian. She wrote the above quote to her
great friend and possibly lover the poet Elizabeth Bishop.

I am under no illusion that war
and militarism are a fact in human life. However, I think and feel deep within
me that it is an illusion - and a profound spiritual malaise - to think or believe
that war and militarism or violence either “make us free” or safe, or will ever
bring about peace with justice-something I think that,
deep within, the vast number of human beings “would like to attain”. Small
numbers of politicians promote war … and most of the rest of us are caught up
in the slaughter and the hell and the horror and the blood and the death. Those
with the most power may attain some temporary freedom from dominance, but the
vicious cycle will continue and their time will come, as it always has.

I find it a deep affront to
pray for peace at religious services, as we did yesterday in our Episcopal
Church, complete with flags, while at the same time giving liturgical affirmation
to those who promote or participate in war.

If we are going to call
Jesus the Prince of Peace, or the Buddha the Lord of Compassion … then I think
we should shed all the illusions and radically refuse to support or to
participate in any way in violence. Or at least try our very best.

Freedom, ultimately, comes
only from exorcising hate, power, and violence from our hearts – personally,
nationally, and as the Human Race.